The fourth annual Clonliffe Harriers athletes of the year presentation night took place in the Clonliffe club bar last night. It was a well attended affair where the club honoured not only the athletes of the year but also the Clonliffe club champions during the previous twelve months and the clubs record breakers.
The evening started off with presentation of Dublin Championship medals to the senior men’s marathon winning team, the marathon O/35 2nd place team and the women’s O/35 marathon 2nd place team. The event presentations made of Dublin team medals to the women’s Junior cross country team and the boy’s U/18 cross country team. There was then a surprise presentation made to club President Paddy Marley of an IAAF Appreciation Certificate.
The President and club captain then made presentations to the club’s 2013 champions:
Brian Gregan – National Indoor Champion 200 metres
Keith Pike – National 60m Indoor Champion
Matt Field – National Indoor 60m Hurdles Champion
Sergiu Ciobanu – National Senior Cross Country Champion
Mark Kenneally – National 10,000 metre Champion
David Donegan – National Pole Vault Champion Indoor and Outdoor
The club’s record breakers were then honoured and presentations made to the athletes who set new club records over the course of 2013: Denise Byrne – Javelin, Brian Gregan – 200 and 400 metres, Caoimhe Morris – hammer and discus, Simon Phelan – high jump, Sara McCormack – 5000m and Becky Woods – 3000m SC.
The evening then proceeded to the presentation of the athletes of the year awards, this presentation was made by the President assisted by our generous sponsor of the awards John Shields of Loki Sports. The awards went to the following:
Junior athlete of the year: Keith Pike – 2nd National Junior 100m 10.84, 3rd National Junior indoor 60m, 1st National indoor senior 60m (6.92) and a member of the Irish 4 x 100m relay team which competed at the European Junior Championships.
Master athlete of the year: Bernie Byrne – winner of National Masters indoor 800m and 1500m and 2nd scorer on the Clonliffe Ladies intermediate team that won Dublin intermediate bronze on 1st of December.
Women’s Track and Field athlete of the year: Leah Moore – 3rd in National Senior 200m and 3rd in National indoor 60m.
Men’s Track and Field athlete of the year: Brian Gregan – set four new club records, 200m and 400m, indoor and outdoor, 1st national indoor 200m, 3rd national 200m and competed for Ireland in three major international championships – European indoors, world championship 400m where he was a semi-finalist, world University Games where he finished 5th in the final.
Women’s Road/Cross Country athlete of the year – Sara McCormack – member of the Irish Women’s Senior Cross Country team that won gold in European Championships in 2012, team bronze medallist for Ireland in World Mountain Running championships, 2nd National inter-county cross country, leading Clonliffe athlete on women’s bronze inter-club National Cross Country winning team.
Men’s Road/Cross Country athlete of the year: – Sergiu Ciobanu – National Cross Country Champion, silver medallist in National 10k Road Championships, 3rd in National marathon championships and leading Clonliffe team to team gold, competed in World Championships in Marathon for Moldova.
Club Captain Joe Cooper then announced his selection of the Clonliffe Harrier of the year. In introducing the Clonliffe Harrier of the year Joe stated that the athlete chosen was an athlete who was always available to compete for the club when called upon, he was an athlete who could be relied upon to compete in any round of the league with a simple reply of when asked “when, where and what time”. In addition the athlete is the top athlete in the country at his chosen discipline, in 2013 he won his 16th and then 17th National Senior pole vault (indoor & outdoor) titles – the Clonliffe Harrier of the year 2013 David Donegan.
Needless to say David being the modest individual he is politely declined to make a speech!
The next events on a busy end of year Programme are: the Grand Prix presentation night, tomorrow, Thursday December 5th, the Juvenile Cake Races on Tuesday December 17th, the Senior Cake Races on Thursday December 19th, the ERP Christmas Cracker 5k Road Race, Sunday December 22nd and the Goal Mile at Morton Stadium on Christmas Eve, December 24th (11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.).